Minnesota Humanities Center

Online - Beyond Learning from Place: Featuring Native Governance Center
2025-11-13 12:30 - 15:00 (America/Chicago) | https://www.mnhum.org/event/online-beyond-learning-from-place-featuring-native-governance-center/
Beyond Learning from Place workshops offer participants supplemental learning opportunities after attending a Learning from Place experience. This session is designed to support Bdote trip participants as well as anyone seeking guidance in developing authentic, respectful relationships with Native Nations.
We are excited to partner with Native Governance Center to host this Beyond Learning from Place online workshop.
Workshop Overview:
Action Planning and Engagement for Accomplices
Join Native Governance Center, a Native-led nonprofit, for a practical and interactive session on building authentic partnerships and taking actionable next steps. This workshop will equip participants with tools for creating supportive action steps using Native Governance Center’s action planning framework. Attendees will also learn how to prepare themselves and understand protocol before partnering with Native Nations. While rooted in working with Native Nations and communities, these tools can also support meaningful engagement with other groups.
Expect real-life examples and plenty of opportunities for discussion in a welcoming, beginner-friendly space.
Learning Objectives
Participants will:

Deepen their understanding of how to prepare for and approach partnerships with Native Nations, with principles that can inform engagement in other contexts.
Gain practical tools for developing personal or organizational action steps using NGC’s action planning framework.
Exchange ideas with fellow participants in small groups to refine and inspire their own action steps.

Native Governance Center Presenters:

Cree Rose Dueker (Chippewa Cree Tribe): Program Manager for Community Engagement
Jessica Glidden (Boise Forte Band of Chippewa): Program Manager for Leadership Development

K-12 Educators will receive 2.5 clock hours.
Registration
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
Register Now

Online Pedagogy Session - Era Three: Freedom, Unfreedom, and Revolution
2025-11-13 16:00 - 17:30 | Online
Analyze revolutionary movements and founding documents to understand how ideas of freedom and justice evolved in the United States. Using content and sources from Dr. Daina Ramey Berry, Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) Social Studies Specialist Brittany Rawson-Haeg and experienced classroom educators will lead this hands-on workshop supporting high school U.S. History teachers in designing inquiry-based, standards-aligned units.
All Pedagogy Sessions will be conducted via Zoom. Educators who participate in all Pedagogy Sessions will leave the year with a complete U.S. History course aligned to the new standards.
Educators are invited to participate in companion Content Sessions.
Registration
Pedagogy Sessions are designed for high school U.S. History teachers and may also be relevant for 5th and 7th grade educators. Educators are welcome to register for individual sessions that align with their interests and schedules. Join us for one or more sessions throughout the year.
This event is free but registration is required. Separate registration is required for each offering.
Registration Questions: Brittany.Rawson-Haeg@state.mn.us
Register Now
This offering is part of Navigating the U.S. History Eras: Content, Pedagogy, and Inquiry in the Classroom is a yearlong professional learning opportunity supporting implementation of Minnesota’s 2021 K–12 Academic Standards in Social Studies presented by MHC and MDE.

Online – Teaching Bdote Educator Workshop
2025-11-15 09:30 - 11:30 | https://www.mnhum.org/event/online-teaching-bdote-educator-workshop/
The Teaching Bdote Educator Workshop is designed for educators who have attended Learning from Place: Bdote and are preparing to incorporate the experience into their classroom or lead their own classroom field trip. Whether you are looking for a refresher or preparing for your first teacher-led trip, this workshop will provide the guidance, resources, and confidence you need.
Offered in collaboration with Saint Paul Public Schools, this interactive session supports educators in aligning Bdote field trips with the 2021 Minnesota Social Studies Standards and the inquiry-based model of learning. Facilitators will also address the common questions and anxieties that non-Indigenous educators may experience when teaching Dakota history, grounding the work in Dakota voices and perspectives.
Facilitators include current classroom educators who have recently led Bdote field trips and Ramona Kitto Stately (Santee Dakota). Ramona, MHC’s primary lead for Learning from Place: Bdote, provides cultural expertise and guidance on teaching Dakota history with care.
Participants will:

Learn from classroom teachers who have recently led Bdote field trips.
Hear candid reflections from non-Indigenous educators about teaching Bdote.
Gain insights from Ramona Kitto Stately on centering Dakota knowledge and perspectives.
Access resources and lesson materials to support both classroom learning and field trip planning.

Intended Audience: While all are welcome, this workshop is especially geared toward teachers in grades 4–7.
K-12 Educators will receive 2 clock hours.
Registration
SPPS teachers: Register using discount code SPPS25 to waive the fee.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org | MHC Cancellation Policy
Register Now

Staples - K-8 Social Studies Standards Workshop
2025-11-18 08:30 - 14:30 | Sourcewell, 202 12th Street NE, Staples, MN, 56479, United States
We invite K-8 social studies educators to a workshop that will provide an overview of the new 2021 Minnesota social studies standards. This workshop includes time for teachers to work together to bundle benchmarks into cohesive, interdisciplinary instructional units. Participants will also have work time to start aligning these units with existing resources and primary sources.
A collaboration between Sourcewell and the Minnesota Humanities Center, this workshop will be led by Sourcewell education consultant Jen McLachlan and will feature Brittany Rawson Haeg, Social Studies Content Lead for the Minnesota Department of Education.
Workshop Leader
Jen McLachlan serves as an education consultant at Sourcewell, lending her expertise to programs such as ElevatePD, New Teacher Academy, and the Social Studies Network. With a background as a middle-level educator in both math and social studies, as well as serving on a school board, she is deeply passionate about empowering teachers to become innovators and catalysts for change.
Workshop Presenter
Brittany Rawson Haeg is the Social Studies Content Specialist at the Minnesota Department of Education. She began her teaching career as a high school social studies teacher in Brooklyn, New York. She taught middle and high school social studies in the Twin Cities. Prior to teaching, she was a staff assistant in the New York City Department of Education Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. She believes in the power of social studies education to help students develop greater empathy and understanding.
Registration
$60 per participant from districts in the five-county service area and partner schools; Comprehensive Package pricing: $6 per participant; $80 per participant from all other schools; Lunch provided.
For more information and to register, visit the Sourcewell event listing.

Online - Digging Into Disciplinary Sources K-12
2025-11-19 07:30 - 08:30 | https://www.mnhum.org/event/online-digging-into-disciplinary-sources-k-12/
Learn how to identify, evaluate, and integrate disciplinary sources effectively. This session will provide strategies for engaging students with primary and secondary sources to develop their disciplinary literacy skills.
The Minnesota Department of Education, in partnership with the Minnesota Humanities Center, will host virtual and in-person sessions to support planning for and implementation of the 2021 K-12 Academic Standards in Social Studies, held monthly during the 2025–26 school year. These sessions are open to anyone with building or district-level responsibilities for curriculum planning and development in all social studies content areas, including curriculum directors, department leads, and teachers. Pre-registration is required for in-person sessions.
Virtual sessions will have content similar to in-person sessions, and whenever possible will feature the same speakers.
In-person sessions will be an hour longer than virtual sessions and will allow time for supported collaborative work and networking.
While districts are encouraged to have a representative at each monthly session, either in-person or virtual, participants do not need to commit to attending all nine sessions. Participants are also welcome to attend either session type throughout the year, as is best suited to their needs and schedule.
K-12 educators will receive 1 clock hour.
Registration
Registration Questions: brittany.rawson-haeg@state.mn.us
Register Now

Minneapolis - Digging Into Disciplinary Sources K-12
2025-11-20 09:00 - 11:00 | Minnesota Department of Education, 400 NE Stinson Blvd, Minneapolis, MN, 55413, United States
Learn how to identify, evaluate, and integrate disciplinary sources effectively. This session will provide strategies for engaging students with primary and secondary sources to develop their disciplinary literacy skills.
The Minnesota Department of Education, in partnership with the Minnesota Humanities Center, will host virtual and in-person sessions to support planning for and implementation of the 2021 K-12 Academic Standards in Social Studies, held monthly during the 2025–26 school year. These sessions are open to anyone with building or district-level responsibilities for curriculum planning and development in all social studies content areas, including curriculum directors, department leads, and teachers. Pre-registration is required for in-person sessions.
Virtual sessions will have content similar to in-person sessions, and whenever possible will feature the same speakers.
In-person sessions will be an hour longer than virtual sessions and will allow time for supported collaborative work and networking.
While districts are encouraged to have a representative at each monthly session, either in-person or virtual, participants do not need to commit to attending all nine sessions. Participants are also welcome to attend either session type throughout the year, as is best suited to their needs and schedule.
K-12 educators will receive 2 clock hours.
Registration
Registration Questions: brittany.rawson-haeg@state.mn.us
Register Now

Online Content Session - Era Four: Imperial Expansion and Native Dispossession
2025-12-02 16:00 - 17:30 | Online
Trace the effects of U.S. expansion on Native nations and examine how policies of land seizure and sovereignty denial shaped the 19th century. Led by Dr. David Aiona Chang and moderated by Dr. Katharine Gerbner, this session will provide deep historical context, source analysis, and thematic framing.

View Dr. David Aiona Chang’s Bio

I am a Native Hawaiian historian of Indigenous people, colonialism, borders and migration in Hawaii and North America, focusing especially on the histories of Native American and Native Hawaiian people. My work moves between hyperlocal and global scales while centering the perspectives and experiences of Indigenous people and integrating close textual analysis, granular social history, theoretically informed analysis of race, gender, sexuality and nationalism, and Indigenous epistemologies and methodologies.

My second book, The World and All the Things Upon It: Native Hawaiian Geographies of Exploration was published in 2016 by the University of Minnesota Press. It speaks to a foundational imperative in Indigenous studies: the need to not just understand Indigenous people from their own perspectives, but to understand the world from their perspectives as well. It traces the ways that Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiians) explored the outside world and generated understandings of their place in it in the century and half after James Cook stumbled on their islands in 1778. In doing so, this book examines indigenous people as the active agents of global exploration, rather than the passive objects of that exploration, broadening our understanding of geographical knowledge production and power in the context of colonialism.

My first book, The Color of the Land, argues for the central place of struggles over the ownership of Native American lands in the history of racial and national construction by Creeks, African Americans, and whites in the Creek Nation and eastern Oklahoma. The Color of the Land was awarded the 2010 Theodore Saloutos Prize for best book in agricultural history from the Agricultural History Society and was granted Honorable Mention in the competition for the American Studies Association’s 2011 Lora Romero First Book Prize.

All Content Sessions will be conducted via Zoom and a Minnesota Department of Education (MDE)-hosted Canvas learning community. Each session’s lectures and discussions will be recorded and registered participants will receive access to the Canvas course with session recordings, curated resources, and collaborative planning tools.

High school U.S. History teachers and 5th and 7th grade educators are invited to participate in companion Pedagogy Sessions.

Registration
Content Sessions are open to all K–12 educators interested in historical content and source-based instruction. Educators are welcome to register for individual sessions that align with their interests and schedules. Join us for one or more sessions throughout the year.

This event is free but registration is required. Separate registration is required for each offering.

Registration Questions: Brittany.Rawson-Haeg@state.mn.us

Register Now

This offering is part of Navigating the U.S. History Eras: Content, Pedagogy, and Inquiry in the Classroom is a yearlong professional learning opportunity supporting implementation of Minnesota’s 2021 K–12 Academic Standards in Social Studies presented by MHC and MDE.

Online - From Page to Practice: The Native American Lives Series in the Classroom
2025-12-04 07:30 - 08:30 | https://www.mnhum.org/event/online-from-page-to-practice-the-native-american-lives-series-in-the-classroom-morning/
Join us for an introductory professional development session on the Native American Lives Series—a vibrant new collection of biographies designed to support grades 1–8 educators in bringing Indigenous voices, histories, and perspectives into the classroom. This session will introduce the first four books in the series, each centering the life and legacy of a Native changemaker. Developed with Native authors, illustrators, and editors, these books provide culturally grounded content that supports both literacy development and inclusive social studies instruction.
Educators will have the opportunity to:

Engage with Minnesota Department of Education content specialists integrating indigenous content with current academic standards
Learn about classroom ready resources and educator guides
Hear from series co-editor Heid E. Erdrich and highlights about the series

K-8 Educators will receive 1 clock hour.
Registration
This event is free but registration is required. This session is also available at 4:00 p.m. on December 4, 2025.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
Register Now

Online - From Page to Practice: The Native American Lives Series in the Classroom
2025-12-04 16:00 - 17:00 | https://www.mnhum.org/event/online-from-page-to-practice-the-native-american-lives-series-in-the-classroom-evening/
Join us for an introductory professional development session on the Native American Lives Series—a vibrant new collection of biographies designed to support grades 1–8 educators in bringing Indigenous voices, histories, and perspectives into the classroom. This session will introduce the first four books in the series, each centering the life and legacy of a Native changemaker. Developed with Native authors, illustrators, and editors, these books provide culturally grounded content that supports both literacy development and inclusive social studies instruction.
Educators will have the opportunity to:

Engage with Minnesota Department of Education content specialists integrating indigenous content with current academic standards
Learn about classroom ready resources and educator guides
Hear from series co-editor Heid E. Erdrich and highlights about the series

K-8 Educators will receive 1 clock hour.
Registration
This event is free but registration is required. This session is also available at 7:30 a.m. on December 4, 2025.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
Register Now

Online - Building Summative Tasks for Social Studies
2025-12-17 07:30 - 08:30 | https://www.mnhum.org/event/online-building-summative-tasks-for-social-studies/
Gain insight into designing summative tasks that align with the inquiry arc. Participants will explore ways to assess students’ understanding through authentic performance-based assessments aligned to both the content and the skills of social studies benchmarks.
The Minnesota Department of Education, in partnership with the Minnesota Humanities Center, will host virtual and in-person sessions to support planning for and implementation of the 2021 K-12 Academic Standards in Social Studies, held monthly during the 2025–26 school year. These sessions are open to anyone with building or district-level responsibilities for curriculum planning and development in all social studies content areas, including curriculum directors, department leads, and teachers. Pre-registration is required for in-person sessions.
Virtual sessions will have content similar to in-person sessions, and whenever possible will feature the same speakers.
In-person sessions will be an hour longer than virtual sessions and will allow time for supported collaborative work and networking.
While districts are encouraged to have a representative at each monthly session, either in-person or virtual, participants do not need to commit to attending all nine sessions. Participants are also welcome to attend either session type throughout the year, as is best suited to their needs and schedule.
K-12 educators will receive 1 clock hour.
Registration
Registration Questions: brittany.rawson-haeg@state.mn.us
Register Now

Online Pedagogy Session – Era Four: Imperial Expansion and Native Dispossession
2025-12-18 16:00 - 17:30 | Online
Trace the effects of U.S. expansion on Native nations and examine how policies of land seizure and sovereignty denial shaped the 19th century. Using content and sources from Dr. David Aiona Chang, Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) Social Studies Specialist Brittany Rawson-Haeg and experienced classroom educators will lead this hands-on workshop supporting high school U.S. History teachers in designing inquiry-based, standards-aligned units.
All Pedagogy Sessions will be conducted via Zoom. Educators who participate in all Pedagogy Sessions will leave the year with a complete U.S. History course aligned to the new standards.
Educators are invited to participate in companion Content Sessions.
Registration
Pedagogy Sessions are designed for high school U.S. History teachers and may also be relevant for 5th and 7th grade educators. Educators are welcome to register for individual sessions that align with their interests and schedules. Join us for one or more sessions throughout the year.
This event is free but registration is required. Separate registration is required for each offering.
Registration Questions: Brittany.Rawson-Haeg@state.mn.us
Register Now
This offering is part of Navigating the U.S. History Eras: Content, Pedagogy, and Inquiry in the Classroom is a yearlong professional learning opportunity supporting implementation of Minnesota’s 2021 K–12 Academic Standards in Social Studies presented by MHC and MDE.

Online Content Session - Era Five: Slavery, Civil War, and Reconstruction
2026-01-15 16:00 - 17:30 | Online
Explore the causes, course, and consequences of the Civil War, and evaluate the transformative potential and limitations of Reconstruction. Led by Dr. Rebecca Brückmann and moderated by Dr. Katharine Gerbner, this session will provide deep historical context, source analysis, and thematic framing.

View Dr. Rebecca Brückmann’s Bio

Rebecca Brückmann (pronounced “Brookman”) is an associate professor of History at Carleton College, who specializes in African American History. She completed her Ph.D. in Modern and Contemporary History at Free University Berlin, Germany, in 2014. She is the author of the monograph “Massive Resistance and Southern Womanhood: White Women, Class, and Segregation” (University of Georgia Press, 2021), which analyzes whites supremacist women’s resistance against Black Freedom activism in Arkansas, Louisiana, and South Carolina from the 1940s to the 1960s. Her research on the Black Freedom Movement, the history of the Black Diaspora, Southern history, and the history of white supremacy has been published, e.g., in the Southern Quarterly, the South Carolina Historical Magazine, the European Journal of American Studies, and “Picturing Black History.” She is currently an Academic Leadership Fellow of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest. At Carleton, she teaches courses on Black and African American history from the 14th through the 21st centuries, including “Black Perspectives on the Civil War and Reconstruction,” “Slavery in the Atlantic World,” and “Freedom Then, Freedom Now: Reconstruction to #BlackLivesMatter.”

All Content Sessions will be conducted via Zoom and a Minnesota Department of Education (MDE)-hosted Canvas learning community. Each session’s lectures and discussions will be recorded and registered participants will receive access to the Canvas course with session recordings, curated resources, and collaborative planning tools. High school U.S. History teachers and 5th and 7th grade educators are invited to participate in companion Pedagogy Sessions.
Registration
Content Sessions are open to all K–12 educators interested in historical content and source-based instruction. Educators are welcome to register for individual sessions that align with their interests and schedules. Join us for one or more sessions throughout the year.

This event is free but registration is required. Separate registration is required for each offering.

Registration Questions: Brittany.Rawson-Haeg@state.mn.us

Register Now

This offering is part of Navigating the U.S. History Eras: Content, Pedagogy, and Inquiry in the Classroom is a yearlong professional learning opportunity supporting implementation of Minnesota’s 2021 K–12 Academic Standards in Social Studies presented by MHC and MDE.

Winona - Third Thursday MMAM and the Native American Lives Series - George Morrison: Modern Artist
2026-01-15 18:30 - 19:30 | Minnesota Marine Art Museum, 800 Riverview Drive, Winona, 55987, United States
Join us at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum for a Third Thursday book event, featuring the Native American Lives Series title, “George Morrison: Modern Artist.” Author Staci Drouillard and illustrator Tashia Hart will share their stories about how this book project was created as well as shed light on the incredible career of George Morrison, Grand Portage Anishinaabe artist, the subject of a major solo exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Native American Lives Series, a joint publishing effort between the Minnesota Humanities Center and Lerner publishing, shares real life stories of Dakota and Ojibwe leaders, artists, activists, and elders who have been influential for their communities and have shaped Minnesota and national history. The series co-editors, Heid E. Erdrich and Gwen Nell Westerman share that “These children’s books are by, for, and about Dakota and Ojibwe people and will help Dakota, Ojibwe, and other Native American children imagine their own potential and help them see their cultures represented alongside biographies of American leaders in our society.”
Presented in partnership with the Minnesota Marine Art Museum.
Registration
Registration through the Minnesota Marine Art Museum. Students may attend for free, however registration is still required.
Registration Questions: hello@mmam.org
Register Now

Online - Repeatable Routines: Building Formative Tasks for Social Studies, Session One
2026-01-21 07:30 - 08:30 | https://www.mnhum.org/event/online-repeatable-routines-building-formative-tasks-for-social-studies-session-one/
Begin a three-part series on developing effective formative assessment routines. This session will introduce strategies for using formative tasks to gauge student learning and adjust instruction in real-time.
The Minnesota Department of Education, in partnership with the Minnesota Humanities Center, will host virtual and in-person sessions to support planning for and implementation of the 2021 K-12 Academic Standards in Social Studies, held monthly during the 2025–26 school year. These sessions are open to anyone with building or district-level responsibilities for curriculum planning and development in all social studies content areas, including curriculum directors, department leads, and teachers. Pre-registration is required for in-person sessions.
Virtual sessions will have content similar to in-person sessions, and whenever possible will feature the same speakers.
In-person sessions will be an hour longer than virtual sessions and will allow time for supported collaborative work and networking.
While districts are encouraged to have a representative at each monthly session, either in-person or virtual, participants do not need to commit to attending all nine sessions. Participants are also welcome to attend either session type throughout the year, as is best suited to their needs and schedule.
K-12 educators will receive 1 clock hour.
Registration
Registration Questions: brittany.rawson-haeg@state.mn.us
Register Now

Minneapolis - Repeatable Routines: Building Formative Tasks for Social Studies, Session One
2026-01-22 09:00 - 11:00 | Minnesota Department of Education, 400 NE Stinson Blvd, Minneapolis, MN, 55413, United States
Begin a three-part series on developing effective formative assessment routines. This session will introduce strategies for using formative tasks to gauge student learning and adjust instruction in real-time.
The Minnesota Department of Education, in partnership with the Minnesota Humanities Center, will host virtual and in-person sessions to support planning for and implementation of the 2021 K-12 Academic Standards in Social Studies, held monthly during the 2025–26 school year. These sessions are open to anyone with building or district-level responsibilities for curriculum planning and development in all social studies content areas, including curriculum directors, department leads, and teachers. Pre-registration is required for in-person sessions.
Virtual sessions will have content similar to in-person sessions, and whenever possible will feature the same speakers.
In-person sessions will be an hour longer than virtual sessions and will allow time for supported collaborative work and networking.
While districts are encouraged to have a representative at each monthly session, either in-person or virtual, participants do not need to commit to attending all nine sessions. Participants are also welcome to attend either session type throughout the year, as is best suited to their needs and schedule.
K-12 educators will receive 2 clock hours.
Registration
Registration Questions: brittany.rawson-haeg@state.mn.us
Register Now

Online Pedagogy Session – Era Five: Slavery, Civil War, and Reconstruction
2026-01-29 16:00 - 17:30 | Online
Explore the causes, course, and consequences of the Civil War, and evaluate the transformative potential and limitations of Reconstruction. Using content and sources from Dr. Rebecca Brückmann, Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) Social Studies Specialist Brittany Rawson-Haeg and experienced classroom educators will lead this hands-on workshop supporting high school U.S. History teachers in designing inquiry-based, standards-aligned units.
All Pedagogy Sessions will be conducted via Zoom. Educators who participate in all Pedagogy Sessions will leave the year with a complete U.S. History course aligned to the new standards.
Educators are invited to participate in companion Content Sessions.
Registration
Pedagogy Sessions are designed for high school U.S. History teachers and may also be relevant for 5th and 7th grade educators. Educators are welcome to register for individual sessions that align with their interests and schedules. Join us for one or more sessions throughout the year.
This event is free but registration is required. Separate registration is required for each offering.
Registration Questions: Brittany.Rawson-Haeg@state.mn.us
Register Now
This offering is part of Navigating the U.S. History Eras: Content, Pedagogy, and Inquiry in the Classroom is a yearlong professional learning opportunity supporting implementation of Minnesota’s 2021 K–12 Academic Standards in Social Studies presented by MHC and MDE.

Online Content Session – Era Six: Migration, Imperialism, and Inequality
2026-02-03 16:00 - 17:30 | Online
Examine the late 19th and early 20th century through the lenses of industrialization, imperial expansion, and rising social inequality. Led by Dr. Maddalena Marinari and moderated by Dr. Katharine Gerbner, this session will provide deep historical context, source analysis, and thematic framing.

View Dr. Maddalena Marinari’s Bio

Maddalena Marinari is Professor of History at Gustavus Adolphus College. She is the author of Unwanted: Italian and Jewish Mobilization Against Restrictive Immigration Laws, 1882–1965 (2020). Her work on immigration restriction, U.S. immigration policy, and immigrant mobilization has appeared in the Journal of American History, Journal of Policy History, Journal of American Ethnic History, Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, and Social Science History Journal. She has also co-edited four books and two special journal issues on different aspects of US immigration history in the twentieth century. Her next book explores the history of family, marriage, and sexuality in U.S. immigration policy from 1875 to 2025. Professor Marinari is currently president of the Immigration and Ethnic History Society.

All Content Sessions will be conducted via Zoom and a Minnesota Department of Education (MDE)-hosted Canvas learning community. Each session’s lectures and discussions will be recorded and registered participants will receive access to the Canvas course with session recordings, curated resources, and collaborative planning tools.

High school U.S. History teachers and 5th and 7th grade educators are invited to participate in companion Pedagogy Sessions.
Registration
Content Sessions are open to all K–12 educators interested in historical content and source-based instruction. Educators are welcome to register for individual sessions that align with their interests and schedules. Join us for one or more sessions throughout the year.

This event is free but registration is required. Separate registration is required for each offering.

Registration Questions: Brittany.Rawson-Haeg@state.mn.us

Register Now

This offering is part of Navigating the U.S. History Eras: Content, Pedagogy, and Inquiry in the Classroom is a yearlong professional learning opportunity supporting implementation of Minnesota’s 2021 K–12 Academic Standards in Social Studies presented by MHC and MDE.

Online Pedagogy Session – Era Six: Migration, Imperialism, and Inequality
2026-02-19 16:00 - 17:30 | Online
Examine the late 19th and early 20th century through the lenses of industrialization, imperial expansion, and rising social inequality. Using content and sources from Dr. Maddalena Marinari, Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) Social Studies Specialist Brittany Rawson-Haeg and experienced classroom educators will lead this hands-on workshop supporting high school U.S. History teachers in designing inquiry-based, standards-aligned units.
All Pedagogy Sessions will be conducted via Zoom. Educators who participate in all Pedagogy Sessions will leave the year with a complete U.S. History course aligned to the new standards.
Educators are invited to participate in companion Content Sessions.
Registration
Pedagogy Sessions are designed for high school U.S. History teachers and may also be relevant for 5th and 7th grade educators. Educators are welcome to register for individual sessions that align with their interests and schedules. Join us for one or more sessions throughout the year.
This event is free but registration is required. Separate registration is required for each offering.
Registration Questions: Brittany.Rawson-Haeg@state.mn.us
Register Now
This offering is part of Navigating the U.S. History Eras: Content, Pedagogy, and Inquiry in the Classroom is a yearlong professional learning opportunity supporting implementation of Minnesota’s 2021 K–12 Academic Standards in Social Studies presented by MHC and MDE.

St. Paul – 2026 Minnesota Council for the Social Studies (MCSS) Conference
2026-02-21 07:30 - 16:30 | Macalester College, 1600 Grand Ave, St. Paul, 55105, United States
The Minnesota Humanities Center will be at the annual Minnesota Council for the Social Studies (MCSS) Conference this year – stop by our table to connect with us, explore educator resources, and learn more about our work with educators.
You can also find us co-presenting at the following sessions:

Experiential Civic Learning: Cultivating Communities that Practice Democracy Through We the People and Project Citizen
Rethinking History and the Meaning of Freedom
K-5 Inquiry through Primary Sources
Ethnic Studies in Action: Place-Based Learning to Strengthen Civic Engagement
Meeting the Mandate: Genocide Education in Minnesota’s Classrooms
Towards 2026: Building Disciplinary Literacy in the 2021 K-12 Academic Standards in Social Studies
From Bdote to the Classroom: Learning from Place to Inspire Civic Engagement

About MCSS
The Minnesota Council for the Social Studies supports, advocates for, and celebrates excellence in the teaching and learning of social studies in Minnesota.
Registration
Registration through MCSS is required to attend.
Register Now

North Mankato - Social Studies Standards Workshop Series
2026-02-23 09:00 - 15:00 | South Central Services Cooperative, 2075 Lookout Drive, North Mankato, 56003, United States
The Social Studies Standards Workshop Series is a two-day workshop series (February 23 and April 30, 2026) designed to equip K–12 teachers and school leaders with the knowledge and tools needed to successfully implement the new social studies standards by the 2026–27 school year. Participants will engage in a guided exploration of the revised standards, including analysis of major content shifts, vertical alignment across grade levels, and implications for curriculum planning.
Throughout the workshop, teams will connect the updated standards to the C3 Framework, deepening their understanding of high-quality instructional practices and identifying necessary instructional shifts to support student learning.
K-12 educators will receive 5 clock hours for each session.
Registration
Registration for this event is managed by South Central Services Cooperative. Fee for Series ($200.00) includes lunch both days. Registration closes Monday, February 23, 2026.
Registration Questions: 507-389-1425
Register Now

Online - Repeatable Routines: Building Formative Tasks for Social Studies, Session Two
2026-02-25 07:30 - 08:30 | https://www.mnhum.org/event/online-repeatable-routines-building-formative-tasks-for-social-studies-session-two/
Continue refining formative assessment practices by exploring structured routines that encourage student engagement, reflection and feedback in the social studies classroom.
The Minnesota Department of Education, in partnership with the Minnesota Humanities Center, will host virtual and in-person sessions to support planning for and implementation of the 2021 K-12 Academic Standards in Social Studies, held monthly during the 2025–26 school year. These sessions are open to anyone with building or district-level responsibilities for curriculum planning and development in all social studies content areas, including curriculum directors, department leads, and teachers. Pre-registration is required for in-person sessions.
Virtual sessions will have content similar to in-person sessions, and whenever possible will feature the same speakers.
In-person sessions will be an hour longer than virtual sessions and will allow time for supported collaborative work and networking.
While districts are encouraged to have a representative at each monthly session, either in-person or virtual, participants do not need to commit to attending all nine sessions. Participants are also welcome to attend either session type throughout the year, as is best suited to their needs and schedule.
K-12 educators will receive 1 clock hour.
Registration
Registration Questions: brittany.rawson-haeg@state.mn.us
Register Now

Minneapolis - Repeatable Routines: Building Formative Tasks for Social Studies, Session Two
2026-02-26 09:00 - 11:00 | Minnesota Department of Education, 400 NE Stinson Blvd, Minneapolis, MN, 55413, United States
Continue refining formative assessment practices by exploring structured routines that encourage student engagement, reflection and feedback in the social studies classroom.
The Minnesota Department of Education, in partnership with the Minnesota Humanities Center, will host virtual and in-person sessions to support planning for and implementation of the 2021 K-12 Academic Standards in Social Studies, held monthly during the 2025–26 school year. These sessions are open to anyone with building or district-level responsibilities for curriculum planning and development in all social studies content areas, including curriculum directors, department leads, and teachers. Pre-registration is required for in-person sessions.
Virtual sessions will have content similar to in-person sessions, and whenever possible will feature the same speakers.
In-person sessions will be an hour longer than virtual sessions and will allow time for supported collaborative work and networking.
While districts are encouraged to have a representative at each monthly session, either in-person or virtual, participants do not need to commit to attending all nine sessions. Participants are also welcome to attend either session type throughout the year, as is best suited to their needs and schedule.
K-12 educators will receive 2 clock hours.
Registration
Registration Questions: brittany.rawson-haeg@state.mn.us
Register Now

Online Content Session – Era Seven: U.S. and the World
2026-03-03 16:00 - 17:30 | Online
Investigate how World War II, the Cold War, and global migrations transformed U.S. society and its role on the international stage. Dr. Katharine Gerbner will moderate a panel of three historians: Elaine Tyler May, Hiromi Mizuno, and Jimmy Patiño, Jr. This session will provide deep historical context, source analysis, and thematic framing.

View Elaine Tyler May’s Bio

Elaine Tyler May is Regents Professor Emerita of American Studies and History at the University of Minnesota.  She is past president of the Organization of American Historians, and past president of the American Studies Association.  Her books include  Fortress America: How We Embraced Fear and Abandoned Democracy (2017);  America and the Pill: A History of Promise, Peril, and Liberation (2010); Homeward Bound: American Families in the Cold War Era (1988, newest edition 2017); Barren in the Promised Land: Childless Americans and the Pursuit of Happiness (1997); Pushing the Limits: American Women, 1940-1961 (1996); and Great Expectations: Marriage and Divorce in Post-Victorian America (1980). She has written for the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, Ms., Daily Beast, the Chronicle of Higher Education, and the Minneapolis Star Tribune, among others. She is a recent recipient of fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Guggenheim Foundation.

View Hiromi Mizuno’s Bio

Hiromi Mizuno is Associate Professor of History at the University of Minnesota. She teaches courses on Modern Japan, Global Politics of Hunger, Global History of WWII. She is an intellectual and cultural historian whose research interests include history of science and technology, the Japanese empire, Cold-War Asia, agricultural modernization, and environmental history.

View Jimmy Patiño’s Bio

Jimmy Patiño is Associate Professor of Chicano and Latino Studies at the University of Minnesota. His work examines how marginalized communities imagine and enact democratic practices amid global capitalism, focusing on Mexican-origin and broader Latino/a/x communities at the U.S.–Mexico border and in major U.S. cities. His book Raza Sí, Migra No: Chicano Movement Struggles for Immigrant Rights in San Diego shows how generations of Mexican-origin activists confronted the crisis over the “illegal alien” by building community across differences in citizenship and national affiliation. Centering San Diego as both an urban and border space, his work highlights challenges to deportation-oriented policies from 1968 to 1986 through the lens of Chicano self-determination. He is currently developing new projects on solidarity across African American, Chicana/o/x, and Puerto Rican movements, exploring how regional contexts shaped Black-Brown/Afro-Latinx diasporic alliances and revolutionary thought across the Midwest, Texas, California, and New York. His broader research and teaching interests include Comparative Ethnic Studies, Chicano/a-Latino/a History, diaspora, transnationalism, borderlands, social movements, political mobilization, and Cultural Studies.

All Content Sessions will be conducted via Zoom and a Minnesota Department of Education (MDE)-hosted Canvas learning community. Each session’s lectures and discussions will be recorded and registered participants will receive access to the Canvas course with session recordings, curated resources, and collaborative planning tools.

High school U.S. History teachers and 5th and 7th grade educators are invited to participate in companion Pedagogy Sessions.

Registration
Content Sessions are open to all K–12 educators interested in historical content and source-based instruction. Educators are welcome to register for individual sessions that align with their interests and schedules. Join us for one or more sessions throughout the year.

This event is free but registration is required. Separate registration is required for each offering.

Registration Questions: Brittany.Rawson-Haeg@state.mn.us

Register Now

This offering is part of Navigating the U.S. History Eras: Content, Pedagogy, and Inquiry in the Classroom is a yearlong professional learning opportunity supporting implementation of Minnesota’s 2021 K–12 Academic Standards in Social Studies presented by MHC and MDE.

St. Paul - Teaching Bdote Educator Workshop
2026-03-07 09:00 - 12:00 | Minnesota Humanities Event Center, 987 Ivy Avenue East, Saint Paul, MN, 55106, United States
The Teaching Bdote Educator Workshop is designed for educators who have attended or plan to attend Learning from Place: Bdote and are preparing to incorporate the experience into their classroom or to lead their own classroom field trip. Whether you are looking for a refresher or preparing for your first teacher-led trip, this workshop will provide the guidance, resources, and confidence you need.
Offered in collaboration with Saint Paul Public Schools, this interactive, in-person session supports educators in aligning Bdote field trips with the 2021 Minnesota Social Studies Standards and the inquiry-based model of learning. Participants will also receive an overview of newly developed Bdote lesson plans, including a closer look at one lesson that is nearing completion and explicitly aligned to the standards. These lessons are designed to support classroom learning before and after a Bdote field trip.
The workshop will be facilitated by Saint Paul Public Schools and Minnesota Humanities Center staff and will address common questions and anxieties that non-Indigenous educators may experience when teaching Dakota history, grounding the work in Dakota voices and perspectives.
Ramona Kitto Stately (Santee Dakota) will share Dakota perspectives and guidance on teaching Dakota history with care. Participant reflections from classroom educators who have recently led Bdote field trips will be shared through short video segments from a previous Teaching Bdote session, offering candid insights and practical guidance grounded in real classroom experience.
Participants will:

Learn from recorded reflections and practical guidance from classroom educators on teaching Bdote, preparing students, and leading field trips.
Learn from Dakota perspectives on centering Indigenous knowledge and place-based histories.
Explore new and emerging Bdote lesson plans aligned to Minnesota Social Studies Standards.
Access resources and lesson materials to support both classroom learning and field trip planning.

Intended Audience: While all are welcome, this workshop is especially geared toward teachers in grades 4–7.
K-12 educators will receive 3 clock hours upon completion of the workshop.
Continental Breakfast will be provided.
Registration
Saint Paul Public School teachers: Register using discount code SPPS26 to waive the fee.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org | Cancellation Policy
Register Now

Sartell - Social Studies Standards Workshop: 6-12 Educators and Leaders
2026-03-17 09:00 - 15:00 | Resource Training & Solution, 137 23rd Street S, Sartell, 56377, United States
We invite 6-12 teachers and school leaders to a one-day Social Studies workshop. Participants will engage in a structured examination of the 2021 social studies standards, focusing on key content shifts, vertical alignment across grade levels, and their impact on curriculum design. Throughout the workshop, collaborative teams will strengthen their understanding of high-quality instructional practices and the instructional shifts needed to support student learning.
This workshop is a collaboration between Resource Training and Solutions and the Minnesota Humanities Center, and will also feature Brittany Rawson-Haeg, Social Studies Content Lead for the Minnesota Department of Education.
Grade 6-12 educators will receive 5.25 clock hours upon completion the session.
Registration
Registration for this event is managed by Resource Training Solutions. Registration fee includes lunch. Registration closes Friday, March 13, 2026.
Registration Questions: info@resourcecoop-mn.gov
Register Now

Prior Lake - 41st Annual Minnesota Indian Education Association Conference
2026-03-18 08:00 - 2026-03-20 17:00 | Mystic Lake Center, 2400 Mystic Lake Boulevard NW, Prior Lake, MN, 55372, United States
The Minnesota Humanities Center will be at the annual Minnesota Indian Education Association (MIEA) Conference this year – stop by our table to connect with us, explore educator resources, and learn more about our work with educators.
You can also find us co-presenting at the following sessions:

Drop Everything and Read Indigenous with the Native American Lives Series
Story, Place, and Identity: An Educator Guide to Native Artists Featured in the Native American Lives Series
From Bdote to the Classroom: Teaching Dakota History through Place-Based Learning

About MIEA
The primary goal of MIEA is to create and uphold a robust communication network while fostering quality education and unity among American Indians. This objective serves to ensure the continuous flow of information and heightened awareness regarding both local and statewide educational endeavors. Specifically, MIEA is dedicated to persistent awareness and proactive efforts that cater to the distinct educational and culturally specific needs of American Indian students across the state. Through these concerted actions, MIEA aims to significantly contribute to the educational and cultural enrichment of American Indian communities.
Registration
The full MIEA Conference runs from March 18-20. Registration and payment through MIEA for the full conference are required to attend.
Registration Questions: info@minnesotaindianeducation.org
Register Now

Online Pedagogy Session – Era Seven: U.S. and the World
2026-03-19 16:00 - 17:30 | Online
Investigate how World War II, the Cold War, and global migrations transformed U.S. society and its role on the international stage. Using content and sources from Dr. Katharine Gerbner, Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) Social Studies Specialist Brittany Rawson-Haeg and experienced classroom educators will lead this hands-on workshop supporting high school U.S. History teachers in designing inquiry-based, standards-aligned units.
All Pedagogy Sessions will be conducted via Zoom. Educators who participate in all Pedagogy Sessions will leave the year with a complete U.S. History course aligned to the new standards.
Educators are invited to participate in companion Content Sessions.
Registration
Pedagogy Sessions are designed for high school U.S. History teachers and may also be relevant for 5th and 7th grade educators. Educators are welcome to register for individual sessions that align with their interests and schedules. Join us for one or more sessions throughout the year.
This event is free but registration is required. Separate registration is required for each offering.
Registration Questions: Brittany.Rawson-Haeg@state.mn.us
Register Now
This offering is part of Navigating the U.S. History Eras: Content, Pedagogy, and Inquiry in the Classroom is a yearlong professional learning opportunity supporting implementation of Minnesota’s 2021 K–12 Academic Standards in Social Studies presented by MHC and MDE.

Online - Repeatable Routines: Building Formative Tasks for Social Studies, Session Three
2026-03-25 07:30 - 08:30 | https://www.mnhum.org/event/online-repeatable-routines-building-formative-tasks-for-social-studies-session-three/
Conclude the formative task series with a focus on sustainability. Participants will learn how to embed formative assessment routines into their teaching practice for long-term impact.
The Minnesota Department of Education, in partnership with the Minnesota Humanities Center, will host virtual and in-person sessions to support planning for and implementation of the 2021 K-12 Academic Standards in Social Studies, held monthly during the 2025–26 school year. These sessions are open to anyone with building or district-level responsibilities for curriculum planning and development in all social studies content areas, including curriculum directors, department leads, and teachers. Pre-registration is required for in-person sessions.
Virtual sessions will have content similar to in-person sessions, and whenever possible will feature the same speakers.
In-person sessions will be an hour longer than virtual sessions and will allow time for supported collaborative work and networking.
While districts are encouraged to have a representative at each monthly session, either in-person or virtual, participants do not need to commit to attending all nine sessions. Participants are also welcome to attend either session type throughout the year, as is best suited to their needs and schedule.
K-12 educators will receive 1 clock hour.
Registration
Registration Questions: brittany.rawson-haeg@state.mn.us
Register Now

Minneapolis - Repeatable Routines: Building Formative Tasks for Social Studies, Session Three
2026-03-26 09:00 - 11:00 | Minnesota Department of Education, 400 NE Stinson Blvd, Minneapolis, MN, 55413, United States
Conclude the formative task series with a focus on sustainability. Participants will learn how to embed formative assessment routines into their teaching practice for long-term impact.
The Minnesota Department of Education, in partnership with the Minnesota Humanities Center, will host virtual and in-person sessions to support planning for and implementation of the 2021 K-12 Academic Standards in Social Studies, held monthly during the 2025–26 school year. These sessions are open to anyone with building or district-level responsibilities for curriculum planning and development in all social studies content areas, including curriculum directors, department leads, and teachers. Pre-registration is required for in-person sessions.
Virtual sessions will have content similar to in-person sessions, and whenever possible will feature the same speakers.
In-person sessions will be an hour longer than virtual sessions and will allow time for supported collaborative work and networking.
While districts are encouraged to have a representative at each monthly session, either in-person or virtual, participants do not need to commit to attending all nine sessions. Participants are also welcome to attend either session type throughout the year, as is best suited to their needs and schedule.
K-12 educators will receive 2 clock hours.
Registration
Registration Questions: brittany.rawson-haeg@state.mn.us
Register Now

Online Content Session – Era Eight: Civil Rights Struggles
2026-04-02 16:00 - 17:30 | Online
Go beyond the 1960s to explore long civil rights movements, from the Great Migration to Black Power, and their relevance for students today. Led by Dr. Yohuru Williams and moderated by Dr. Katharine Gerbner, this session will provide deep historical context, source analysis, and thematic framing.

View Dr. Yohuru Williams’s Bio

Dr. Yohuru Williams is a Distinguished University Chair, Professor and the Founding Director of the Racial Justice Initiative at the University of St. Thomas. A noted scholar of the civil rights and black power movements, an education activist and frequent national commentator, he is an important voice on the topics of race and social justice.

Dr. Williams holds a joint appointment in the Department of History and the School of Law. As a Distinguished University Chair, he helps the university address equity and justice topics that are outside any one school or college and separate from the internal-facing portfolio of the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Dr. Williams collaborates with people across the university already engaged in community work in order to leverage the full intellectual capacity of St. Thomas to be of even greater service to the community.

All Content Sessions will be conducted via Zoom and a Minnesota Department of Education (MDE)-hosted Canvas learning community. Each session’s lectures and discussions will be recorded and registered participants will receive access to the Canvas course with session recordings, curated resources, and collaborative planning tools.

High school U.S. History teachers and 5th and 7th grade educators are invited to participate in companion Pedagogy Sessions.

Registration
Content Sessions are open to all K–12 educators interested in historical content and source-based instruction. Educators are welcome to register for individual sessions that align with their interests and schedules. Join us for one or more sessions throughout the year.

This event is free but registration is required. Separate registration is required for each offering.

Registration Questions: Brittany.Rawson-Haeg@state.mn.us

Register Now

This offering is part of Navigating the U.S. History Eras: Content, Pedagogy, and Inquiry in the Classroom is a yearlong professional learning opportunity supporting implementation of Minnesota’s 2021 K–12 Academic Standards in Social Studies presented by MHC and MDE.
